Prospective Student-Athletes

 Utah State won its eighth game in a row to improve to 9-1 to start a season for the first time since 2008-09, and the Aggies have now started a season 9-1 a total of just nine times in school history.

 The Aggies are now 46-1 (.978) all-time in tournaments it hosts and have won 45-straight home tournament games. USU went 3-0 in the Athletes In Action Classic (2011), World Vision Invitational (2010), Basketball Travelers Invitational (2009) and the Duel in the Desert (2008), 26-0 in the Gossner Foods Holiday Classic (1994-2007) and 5-1 in the Big Blue Classic (1971-1972, 1982), losing to Wyoming, 92-85, on Dec. 28, 1971 in the championship game.

 Utah State shot a season-high 60.0 percent (24-of-40) from the field, its highest field goal percentage since 63.8 percent (37-of-58) as the Aggies also shot 70.6 percent (12-of-17) in the second half.

 USU also shot a season-high 66.7 percent (6-of-9) from three-point range, setting a tournament record for highest single-game three-point percentage, bettering the previous mark of 60.0 percent (9-of-15) by Utah State against Cal State Fullerton in 2009.

 USU has now made 18 three-pointers in its last two games, an average of 9.0 per game, after averaging just 4.5 per game in its previous eight games.

 Utah State is now 7-0 this season when leading at the half. Over the last 13 years, USU is 280-25 (.918) when leading at the half and 47-76 (.382) when trailing at the half including a 1-1 (.500) record this year.

 For the first-time this season Utah State was out-rebounded by an opponent. USU had a season-low 24 rebounds while Southern Illinois snatched 25 rebounds Saturday for a +1 rebounding margin. The Aggies are now 1-0 when being out-rebounded by an opponent after posting an 8-1 mark when having more rebounds than the opposition.

 Southern Illinois guard Desmar Jackson scored 29 against which is the most Utah State has allowed to a single player this season.

 USU scored 21 points off turnovers Saturday night, which is a season-high, topping the previous mark of 14 in the Santa Clara game.

 Utah State improved to 224-30 (.882) under head coach Stew Morrill when scoring at least 70 points, doing so for the third-straight game and fifth in the last six games, winning all five times.

 Utah State is 7-1 at home this year and USU has won 56 of its last 62 games (.903) in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum after having its 33-game win streak snapped last season on Nov. 30, 2011 with a loss to Denver. That 33-game win streak started after a 37-game win streak was halted by Saint Mary's on Dec. 5, 2009. Overall, USU has won 92 of its last 99 home games (.929).

 USU has won 91.9 percent of its home games (217-19) under head coach Stew Morrill, including a 111-9 (.925) record in non-conference games. USU has registered a 511-112 (.820) all-time record in its 43rd year in the facility. The Aggies have won 245 of their last 266 games (.921) in the Spectrum, including 123 of their last 134 (.918) home games against league competition, including 48 of its last 52 (.923).

 Utah State is 87-23 (.791) during the month of December under Morrill, which includes a 73-2 (.973) record at home. The Aggies are 12-3 (.800) all-time in known games played on Dec. 22, playing on the date for the second-straight season, as last year's home tournament, the Athletes in Action Classic, sponsored by Gossner Foods, Inc., was also Dec. 20-22.

 The Aggies are also 6-0 this season in games played on Saturday and are 140-52 (.729) in games played on Saturday under Morrill.

 Saturday was USU's first win over Southern Illinois and the Aggies are now 1-2 all-time against the Salukis, as Saturday's match-up was the first meeting since 1997, as SIU won 70-69 in Logan on Jan. 11, 1996 and 67-64 at Carbondale on Jan. 4, 1997.

 The Aggies improve to 16-15 (.531) all-time against current members of the Missouri Valley Conference as it is 1-2 against Bradley, 2-2 against Creighton, 2-1 against Drake, 2-0 against Evansville, 2-3 against Illinois State, 1-0 against Indiana State, 1-2 against Southern Illinois and 6-5 against Wichita State.

 Utah State head coach Stew Morrill is 10-5 (.667) all-time against current members of the Missouri Valley Conference, posting a 2-2 mark against Creighton, 3-1 against Drake, 3-1 vs. Illinois State, 1-1 against Wichita State and 1-0 against Southern Illinois.

 Utah State is now 5-9 (.357) all-time against teams from the state of Illinois as USU has faced Bradley (1-2), DePaul (1-0), Illinois (0-2), Illinois State (2-3) and Southern Illinois (1-2). Saturday was USU's first game against a team from the Land of Lincoln State since playing at Illinois State in the first round of the 2008 NIT, won by ISU, 61-57.

PLAYER NOTES

 Senior forward Kyisean Reed netted a season-high for the second time in three games with 21 points against the Salukis. It is the fifth-time in Reed's career and the second time this season that he has scored 20 or more points in a game.

 Reed broke through the defense for two dunks and has now recorded a team-high nine dunks on the season.

 Reed also shot a season-best 7-of-8 (.875) from the charity stripe in Saturday's action.

 Sophomore guard Preston Medlin once again stood his ground in the face of an oncoming defender, taking three charges. Medlin has taken five charges in the last two games, pushing his team-leading total to six.

 For the seventh-time this season Medlin scored in double-figures as he scored 16 points in Saturday's tournament finale. It is also the 38th time in Medlin's career that he has scored in double figures.

 Medlin also dished out a season-best six assists eclipsing his previous high-mark of five at Santa Clara. Medlin has passed out five or more assists 18 times in his career including Saturday's effort.

 Junior guard Marvin Jean logged his first career start as an Aggie and tallied a career-best 33 minutes.

 For the second consecutive night Jean went 2-of-3 from behind that arc, helping Utah State go 6-of-9 (.667) from distance as a team.

 Sophomore center Matt Lopez logged a season-high 16 minutes as he manned the middle for the Aggies.

 Freshman guard Marcel Davis swiped two steals against SIU for the third time this season.